Springfield Business Journal_2020-11-02

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 35 NOV. 2-8, 2020 NEWS CLEANING FOR HEALTH WE FOCUS ON YOUR BUILDING. YOU FOCUS ON YOUR BUSINESS. 2020 Traditional Services Janitorial Services Carpet Cleaning Hard Floor Cleaning Looking for peace of mind? Let us design a cleaning or infection control program that fits your needs. sq.ft. cleaned daily MILLION sq. ft. disinfected since March '20 MILLION Emergency COVID Response Cleans Infection Control Services Electrostatic Disinfecting Confirmed Case COVID Cleans Cleaning for Health Programs Beer: New breweries continue to open amid COVID-19 pandemic Continued from page 3 nationally, according to the Brewers Asso- ciation.   While U.S. beer volume sales were down 2% in 2019, craft brewer sales grew 4%, reaching 13.6% of the total beer market, ac- cording to Brewers Association data. Last year, retail sales of craft beer increased 6%, up to $29.3 billion – accounting for over 25% nationally of the $116 billion beer market.  State and national growth of brewer- ies, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, is encouraging, said Sherry Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild. The nonprofit has 50 members, including sev- en of Springfield’s breweries. It only had around 20 members when Wohlgemuth was hired in 2018. Annual dues are $250 for the first 100 barrels brewed.  “We’ve still had a few brew- eries join during the COVID time,” she said. “That gives us a little hope that things will be OK.” Beyond Springfield The first microbrewery to set up shop just outside of Springfield was Back Home Brewing LLC in 2016. The Ozark venture started as a full-ser- vice bar, but began serving in-house craft beers within months of opening, said co- owner Angie Lachner. Back Home has four of its 13 beers on tap at all times. Roughly 25% of sales come from their brews, she said, adding the brewery also offers pub food.  Lachner said Battlefield gaining a brew- ery would be a welcome sight, as it expands the craft beer footprint. However, she said solely focusing on local beers is unlikely for Back Home, as it has too many regulars who love the food or want other drink options. “We were pretty realistic that if they wanted to come in for a Diet Coke or a pork tenderloin sandwich, we should have that offered too,” she said. “But for the people that like our beers, that’s all they come for.” As Battlefield awaits the con- struction of Wire Road Brew- ery, Schoneboom said it’s not the only big project the city has recently gained. The Township Senior Living, a roughly $30 million venture, opened in 2019, as did Russell Cellular’s $6 mil- lion corporate headquarters. Schoneboom expects the brewery to pro- vide a unique and desired amenity for the city’s roughly 6,300 residents. “One of the things that we hear from our citizens all the time is we wish we had a restaurant or a place where we could go to maybe have a beer and congregate,” he said. “From that perspective, this kind of fills a niche here.” 65 MISSOURI Ozark Battlefield 8 4 11 7 9 5 NEXT ON TAP The craft beer market within Springfield city limits reached 10 microbreweries with the June opening of Prehistoric Brewing Co. A planned startup in Battlefield called Wire Road Brewery marks the closest brewing business outside the city. Ozark gained a microbrewery in 2016 with the opening of Back Home Brewing. HEATHER MOSLEY In development Breweries, in order of opening, are: 1. Springfield Brewing Co. 2. Mother’s Brewing Co. 3. White River Brewing Co. 4. Show-Me Brewing LLC 5. Back Home Brewing LLC 6. Lost Signal Brewing Co. 7. 4 by 4 Brewing Co. LLC 8. Tie & Timber Beer Co. 9. Great Escape Beer Works LLC 10. Hold Fast Brewing 11. Prehistoric Brewing Co. 12. Wire Road Brewing LLC Source: Springfield Business Journal research Sherry Wohlgemuth : Missouri Craft Brewers Guild membership is up 150% from 2018.